Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee has reversed course on a commitment to participate in the first significant gubernatorial debate of the 2022 campaign season.
McKee’s change of heart was revealed by The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, which is staging the debate at 12:30 pm next Thursday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick.
All five Democratic candidates — Matt Brown, Helena Foulkes, Nellie Gorbea, McKee, and Luis Daniel Munoz — and Republican Ashley Kalus signed up to take part.
However, RIPEC President/CEO Michael DiBiase said in a statement, “We were informed that the governor is not doing candidate events until the field is set. Yes, his office previously confirmed on two occasions and we communicated event details. The first confirmation was on February 24.”
“While we are disappointed,” DiBiase added, “we are looking forward to an event that will help inform the voters ahead of the important choice they have to make.”
McKee’s campaign manager, Brexton Isaacs, said the campaign informed RIPEC last week that McKee “will begin participating in debates when the candidate declaration period is complete and the field is set.”
The filing deadline for candidates is in late June.
McKee inherited the governor’s office when Gina Raimondo became U.S. Commerce secretary last year.
McKee may benefit from the waning of the worst effects of the pandemic, a vastly improved state budget outlook and a torrent of federal COVID aid pouring into Rhode Island. However, the governor has also faced controversy involving his former chief of staff and the ILO Group contract awarded by his administration, which remains the subject of a state and federal investigation.
The news about McKee’s decision to skip the RIPEC debate came amid a new finding by Wasington, DC, communications company Morning Consult: McKee’s approval rating is at 42 percent, two points above his disapproval ranking.
According to Morning Consult, McKee “has seen a substantial drop in his approval rating in recent months, from 60% in the third quarter of 2021 to 42% now. Over the same time period, the share who disapprove of his job performance increased from 25% to 40%, marking the biggest decline in sentiment about a governor facing voters this fall.”
Ian Donnis can be reached at idonnis@ripr.org. Follow him on Twitter @IanDon. Sign up here for his free weekly RI politics newsletter.
